Game No. 12

Monday

Oct 31, 2011 at 12:01 AMOct 31, 2011 at 9:45 AM

The announced crowd in the Nationwide Arena was 16,022 and it was padded with children in Halloween costume, who were admitted free with a paid adult. So, the atmosphere had an odd feel to it – the building has carried more sound with 10,000 in it – but there was a very real feel to the respite, and the relief, the Blue Jackets felt after posting a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. It was a solid victory, replete with effort. The Jackets cashed in on a two-man advantage early in the first period, which was critical. Goaltender Steve Mason set aside 19 of the 20 shots and was perfect over the last 51-plus minutes. Anaheim, a big, brutish team with angry intent, came hard at him in the latter stages, but the Jackets blocked 18 shots, they kept their drawers clean when they were pressured, they killed off all three Duckie power plays and they stood up to a bullying. "Guys have had enough of it," said Fedor Tyutin, who scored with a blue-line blast in the second period. "Everyone is sick of losing. Every single guy in this room gave his best effort and did what he does best."

The announced crowd in the Nationwide Arena was 16,022 and it was padded with children in Halloween costume, who were admitted free with a paid adult. So, the atmosphere had an odd feel to it – the building has carried more sound with 10,000 in it – but there was a very real feel to the respite, and the relief, the Blue Jackets felt after posting a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. It was a solid victory, replete with effort. The Jackets cashed in on a two-man advantage early in the first period, which was critical. Goaltender Steve Mason set aside 19 of the 20 shots and was perfect over the last 51-plus minutes. Anaheim, a big, brutish team with angry intent, came hard at him in the latter stages, but the Jackets blocked 18 shots, they kept their drawers clean when they were pressured, they killed off all three Duckie power plays and they stood up to a bullying. "Guys have had enough of it," said Fedor Tyutin, who scored with a blue-line blast in the second period. "Everyone is sick of losing. Every single guy in this room gave his best effort and did what he does best." Derek Dorsett fought Sheldon Brookbank in the first period. Kris Russell fought Andrew Cogliano in the first period. Cody Bass fought Ryan Getlaf in the first period. And Dorsett fought Brookbank in the second. The Jackets were outweighed 833-761 in this collective cage match, or 208-190 per bout. The Ducks boast a bevy of 200-plus-pound forwards – Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan, Corey Perry, George Parros, Matt Beleskey, Devante Smith-Pelly – who tend to assert themselves. They were assertive early, when Teemu Selanne (who is 198 pounds) got a high stick into the face of Rick Nash and, during the delayed penalty, Saku Koivu (a relative midget at 182 pounds) boarded Grant Clitsome. Both calls came at 1 minute, 32 seconds of the first period. On the ensuing power play, Nash scored on a wicked wrister from the right dot, beating Dan Ellis inside the near post with help from an R.J. Umberger screen, at 2:23. James Wisniewski and Umberger assisted. The Ducks got the goal back at 6:24 when Ryan converted on a two-on-one rush, assist Selanne. Then everyone started fighting. Rookie forward Ryan Johansen scored his second goal of the season at 1:57 of the second period. He came in on a rush with Matt Calvert on the right wing and, with a defenseman sliding between them to take away the cross-slot pass, Johansen put the puck on his backhand and lifted a shot through a toaster slot inside the near post. Antoine Vermette and Calvert had the assists. These are interesting times for Johansen, 19. He has played nine games for the Jackets. When he plays his 10th game, the first year of his entry contract kicks in. So, it is time to decide whether to keep him here for the remainder of the season – and get his NHL career started in earnest – or return him to his junior team, the WHL Portland Winter Hawks. (One man's view: Keep him here. He looks comfortable. He has improved steadily and there is little reason to believe he will not continue to do so. Dude can play. And while we're on the subject, bring back Cam Atkinson.) "I think I've given a good effort and really tried my best to adjust to this level," Johansen said. "The final decision is theirs, but I feel confident up here and I feel like I can play up here." The Jackets pushed their lead to 3-1 on a goal by Tyutin at 12:52 of the middle period. From the left point, Toots wound up and hammered a rising slap shot through a crowd and under the crossbar. Clean. Once again, Wisniewski had the primary assist. Sammy Pahlsson had the secondary. The Jackets killed off a Tyutin roughing penalty late in the second period and a Pahlsson hooking penalty midway through the third. They have killed over eight of eight penalties over the past two games. The kills were big on this night as the Jackets repelled the comeback efforts of the once-mighty and still-large Ducks. "When we play with a bit of an edge, when we play like we're pissed off, when we play in the hard areas and go there first…that's usually when better things happen for us," Jackets coach Scott Arniel said. Notes --The Jackets have won two in a row at home. Does that deserve an exclamation point? . . . Mason won both games, with a 0.76 GAA and a .961 save percentage. . . . It's fair to say that tonight marked the reappearance of Calder Mason. Will he remain? --Nash has four goals this season. He is two points shy of 500 for his career (263-235-498 in 604 games). . . . Wisniewski has assists in three consecutive games. Tonight marked his first multi-point night for the Jackets. He pulled 27:26 of ice time. . . . Toots has goals in two of the past three games. --Michael Arace marace@dispatch.com